Forget the fashion runways (if only momentarily). ELLECanada.com celebrates the year’s best global street fashion.

Irina is more supermodel than super-street, but we had to include her in this particular look (spotted during New York Fashion Week, Fall 2011-12). The burgundy-sashed hat, the light grey pantsuit; it all screams ’70s comfort chic.

We were amazed at how many studs and grommets made their way onto the attire of fashion journalists during both the spring and fall fashion shows in Milan, but we understand why: Just like leopard print, these accoutrements are becoming a classic. Read the rest of this entry

Iconic American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger chats with ELLE about his signature style, modern families and why his brand shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

ELLE Canada: Tommy, you have had an illustrious career in the world of fashion. Do you ever wake up and think to yourself: “I’m over it!”

Tommy Hilfiger: Actually, that’s a great question, and I do have an answer. I work more now as an editor because I surround myself with a team that inspire me and bring new ideas to the table constantly. Am I over it? Absolutely not.  They are what keeps me going; you’re only as good as your team.

EC: How do you keep your brand relevant in today’s fashion landscape?

TH: It just keeps moving ahead, and we always have to modernize our ideas. Make it fresh, but make it familiar; make it fun and stylish and make it affordable and wearable. Those are very important goals for the Tommy Hilfiger brand; more important than anything else.

EC: Given today’s economic climate, there has been a shift in fashion towards a more democratic approach in buying and selling. Do you think there is any place for democracy in fashion? Or should it always be aspirational?

It can most certainly be both. Aspirational can still be very affordable, you know. As a designer brand, we have a duty to the customer to bring “newness” out in a continual sense. This newsness can be in the form of colour, fabric, detail, shape, the way you mix and match pieces together; a nuance you may not have originally thought of.  It’s important to offer your customer a new surprise each time.

EC: Who was the original Tommy woman and how has she changed over the years?

TH: Well, there are more of them now, that’s for sure (laughs).  At the beginning she was a very specific, young, 22-year-old that liked trendy fashions. But now, we dress her mother, her sister, her aunt, her cousin. She’s an everywoman in the sense she wears black tie, she wears gowns, she’ll wear something to school, to work, out for drinks. The Tommy brand has a signature look: the nautical, preppy, red-white-and-blue, so our woman can buy these classics that will last forever, but she’ll also buy what may be fashionable this season, and not necessarily the next.  She’s fun, wholesome. Read the rest of this entry

We’ve taken our ELLE street style photographers to task this week. The assignment: A tour around the globe’s meccas of style. The mission: To find those streeters in London, Paris, Milan and New York who best capture some of the most enduring fashion runway trends.

Did they succeed? Scroll down to view some amazing snaps of some pretty spectacular fashion.

THE ’70s COAT

Emilio Pucci, fall 2011-12

Paris, France

Read the rest of this entry

Hey, that's mine!

As if aspiring to own a Burberry trench (any Burberry trench) wasn’t idealistic enough, the London-based fashion house has upped the ante… way up. Burberry Bespoke is an online service whereby loyalists can customize their own trenches. To begin, you select style and length. Are you a Kensington (“A modern fit double-breasted that lightly graces the hip”) or a Wiltshire Shearling (“A heritage cotton gabardine trench with distinctive shearling sleeves”)? Starting price: $1634.

Next comes the length, fabric and colour (easy, umm, honey beige anyone?) followed by a multitude of tricked-out options. If you’re eying the brass studded sleeves that both Kate Bosworth and Emma Watson have been snapped cloaked in, go for it. It is pretty damn cool (for an even cooler price tag of $1361)  especially after viewing the look on the site’s on-screen simulator. Cha-ching!

The quintessential Burberry check, natch.

Let’s face it; we’re in the game now, so why not also include the matching studded belt ($266), a natural fox-fur collar ($342) and, just because bespoke should be taken as literally as possible, my personal monogram for good measure (Hey, what do ya know; that’s free!)

All told, my “OMG, is that… no… Burberry?!” will ring me up $3337. Christmas may be less than a month away, but in 8 weeks’ time I’ll be celebrating something much more special.

Heidi Klum clad in red-hot Michael Kors (Photo courtesy George Pimmentel)

Prepping for my interview with Heidi Klum on Tuesday (the supermodel mom spent a whirlwind 24-hours in Toronto to launch her first fragrance, Shine) I was,  not unexpectedly, bombarded with a million and a half questions to ask her. ELLE colleagues wanted to know her skincare secrets; our Facebook fans are curious about her commitment to fitness and my sister, well she was just dying to know if Heidi is as much of an amazon as we all imagine her to be (Tina, if you’re there: She is.)

So it’s safe to say I came to the Hazelton Hotel at the ready for my 10 minute one-on-one. But, upon arrival, there was obstacles: Makeup touch-ups, a somewhat sussed Jeanne Beker  (“When they say 3 o’clock sharp for an interview, they should really mean it”) and a burgeoning MTV News crew that somehow lost their microphone post-interview. My tête-à-tête with Mrs. Seal ended up being whittled down to a 6-minute round table. Classic.

The good news in all of this is that Heidi is wonderful. She really is. She radiates warmth and an unapologetic goofiness – despite the fact she looked positively extraterrestrial in a red-hot 3-piece Michael Kors suit and sky-high leopard Louboutins (The word “amazon” doesn’t even do this woman justice.)

I managed to blabber out your questions whilst keeping Heidi’s sprightly press manager at bay… no easy feat. Herewith, her answers!

What are you super-diligent about in your skincare routine?

“It’s a pretty simple philosophy: Always (always) take your makeup off and give your skin a break. I think the most important thing for me is to go to sleep with a very clean face — and make sure it really is clean! Nothing worse than waking up the next morning with remnants of the night before. ”

What is your fitness routine?

“I don’t work out as much as people may think I do.  I am very active because of my children, but I’m more dedicated to my diet; I eat very healthy. In the summertime I ran 4 miles a day ( with my Summer Run program) and encouraged people to go out and run everyday. I ran over 120 miles this summer. You should all join me next time!”

What are some of your favourite scents?

“Lily of the Valley carries the most memories for me. This may sound cheesy, but growing up in Germany my parents would always ask me to go out in the forest and pick bunches and bunches of them. I’ve incorporated the fragrance into my perfume Shine along with pink peppercorns, mandarin and pear; it’s a great mix of spicy and sweet.”

Speaking of which, why launch a fragrance? Why now?

“I wanted to recreate that moment when a woman walks into the room and you stop and think, “Hmm, what is she wearing?” It could be an amazing dress or, in my case, a lasting scent. The biggest challenge was coming up with a fragrance that no one has really smelled before; something that was unique and a real head-turner. My husband loves it; my children can’t really tell the difference!”

Is there a special meaning behind the name, Shine?

“I had a whole bunch of names, but most were taken. The word “shine” resonates with me mostly because of my husband. He’s said to me many times before: “You shine, babe.”"

Check out the behind-the-scenes images of the Shine campaign (shot in Mexico) here:

Photo courtesy of BANG Media

When you think about it, Swedish retailer H&M is one of the biggest game-changers in the fashion biz. It all began on that one, fateful day somewhere in 2004 when the brains behind the cheap chic brand came up with the clever idea (god knows how) to align themselves with some seriously luxurious brands. First – and quite fittingly – came Karl Lagerfeld. The exclusive collection of super-starched white shirts, boyfriend blazers and LBDs sold out within hours and the frenzy induced cast a legion of other notable fashion designers to follow suit: Next came Stella McCartney, then Dutch designers Viktor & Rolf, followed by Roberto Cavalli and… Kylie Minogue? (Admittedly we’re still a bit confused on that last one.) Read the rest of this entry

Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight…

Last night leading luxury jeweller BIRKS invited media and select guests to their tony Bloor St. boutique in Toronto to discover timepieces and jewels from Van Cleef & Arpels Paris atelier. The exquisite collection of cocktails rings, bracelets and necklaces have the power to stand alone; but fittingly each carefully curated piece has a story, and who better to tell the tale than the house’s most revered patron, Nicolas Luchsinger (Vice President and Heritage Curator).

We stole a few precious moments with Monsieur Luchsinger to ask what his five favourite sparklers are of the entire array; naturally not an easy feat as one, or five, is truly never enough.

Set in 18K featuring one cushion-cut diamond, black spinels (Price upon request.)

The “Abstraction” Ring
“This is from our newest High Jewelry collection called Bals de Légende which draws inspiration from five of the most iconic masquerade balls of the 20th Century. This particular ring is based upon the famous Black and White Ball hosted by Truman Capote in 1966. Not only is the mounting great (which makes a 15.54c ring very wearable) but the stone is an antique stone from the mythical mines of Golconda; quite phenomenal.”

Set in 18K white gold featuring 20 diamond clover motifs ($29,400).

The Perlée” Diamond Clover Bracelet
“A very wearable piece which still discreetly shows our infamous Alhambra motif in a subtle way, and the fact that it is in rose gold makes it so contemporary and youthful.”

Swiss mechanical movement timepiece set in 18K white gold featuring diamonds and “contre-jour” enameling ($88,000).

Pont des Amoureux watch
This romantic piece tells a story of two lovers meeting for a Parisian rendezvous at both 12 noon and midnight each day for a magical kiss. This theme reminds me of Alfred and Estelle Arpels and their beautiful love story which resulted in the birth of our Maison. The piece also brings together the remarkable works of Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and Dominique Baron who bring their expertise to the timepiece as the best among the world’s movement creators and enamellers, respectively.”

Set in 18K yellow gold featuring coral and chrysoprase (Price upon request.)

“Estate” sautoir (Circa 1970s)
“This beautiful and chic colorful sautoir is a masterpiece of our 1970s creations showcasing a great design. It is so representative of a time period where jewelry was worn a very casual way.”

Set in 18K white gold featuring round-shaped diamonds and pink sapphires (Price upon request.)

“Birds of Paradise”

“This contemporary reinterpretation of a theme so dear to the VCA where birds and nature have been such a great source of inspiration to our House since the ’20s.”

If money were no object, which piece would you buy?

6 best trends (so far)

“Rouge Fashion Week” (definitely the new tag line for the pre-LG shows) has come to a glorious close and what a week it was. We had many highs (a second season of shows at the super-swish Ritz Carlton) and a few lows (waiting over an hour for the Greta Constantine) but all in all, it was an exciting four days celebrating Canadian fashion. So, what will our closets be coveting this spring season? Here, our top six trends:

Greta Constantine, Spring 2012 (Photo courtesy: Jenna Wakani)

The Jersey Dress

We love the effortlessness of this quintessential fabric; plus the muted grey tone is just as easy to wear. Props go to the wicked fingerless leather gloves. So hot they’re cool.

Lucian Matis, Spring 2012 (Photo courtesy: Jenna Wakani)

Florals

Lucian Matis’s embellished floral dress is the antithesis of Greta Constantine’s minimalist sheath, but spring can’t possibly be embraced without a nod to the season’s prettiest ambassador.  Not as wearable, no, but can you imagine showing up to a wedding garden reception in this supremely girly confection? We can — and likely will.

Calla Haynes, Spring 2012 (Photo courtesy Steve Alkok/Arthur Mola Photography)

Sheer

Sheer fabrics continue to dominate the runways, red carpets and now, our collective hearts. Calla Haynes‘s lemon shirt-dress (above) is so peek-a-boo chic; perfect for a modern day girl about town.

Jean-Pierre Braganza (Photo by: Steve Alkok/Arthur Mola Photography)

The Cut-Out Dress

An edgy, yet sophisticated look is what many women aspire towards (am I right?), so Braganza‘s hexagonal cut-out dress is the perfect wardrobe pick. The cream colour and cut at the knee is office-appropriate, but the flashes of skin is all attitude. What’s not to love?

Todd Lynn, Spring 2012 (Photo by: Steve Alkok/Arthur Mola Photography)

The White Suit

A total tweak on an otherwise been there, done that trend. Todd Lynn‘s use of metallic inserts in the pockets and punk-inspired pin trellis on the shoulders adds a decidedly rock-star edge.

Thomas Tait, Spring 2012 (Photo by: Steve Alkok/Arthur Mola Photography)

Black ‘n White

A bit geek-chic for sure, but this classic colour combo with a sporty silhouette is a perfect rebellion to spring’s over-the-top colour stories and super-feminine cuts. (As for the white socks and sneakers … we’ll take a pass.)

What look above is your favourite?

For more coverage on Toronto Fashion Week, catch up on the ELLE Word blogs here.

A journey into the world of a Maitre-Parfumeur

Eze (in Nice, France)

My travels throughout the South of France have been nothing if not spectacular. The hotels, the pampering, the cuisine and now, as if to complete my oh-so-française experience, the fragrance. I visited the medieval village of Eze (a captivating enclave in Nice that sits on a rocky peak overlooking the Mediterranean sea) and discovered the prestigious House of Galimard; a luxury parfumeur that, for 260 years, has celebrated the allure of creating your own fragrance.

With a glass of champagne and a couple of canapes as my starting point, I sit down at my own “organ” (creation station) and embark on a three hour journey into the world of signature scents. Once complete, I will be the owner of a 100ml bottle of Eau de Lara. Here’s how my dream became a reality… Read the rest of this entry

The best way to start a work week? Being introduced to a seriously amazing shopping website: theoutnet.com. Our friends at whowhatwear.com have begun to sing its praises, and even our own features editor Kathryn Hudson has been spotted sporting her most recent Alex Wang finds.

The deals are outrageous: Balmain at 80% off, Jimmy Choo at 65% and Bottega Veneta at 50% off … Where to start? Well, considering it’s my birthday next week I think these platform boots (shown above) will be the only way to ring in my 34th year.